Travel back in time at innovative bookstore
Niu Lichao and Yang Yang
Three ancient buildings from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties line up along the old street of Sijing Town, Songjiang District. The innermost one is called the Guan Family Residence. It has white walls and gray tiles, and has been converted into a new-concept bookstore called Nan Cun Ying Xue, or South Village in the Reflections of Snow.
“A snowy day in Sijing Town is very beautiful,” said Zhuang Jie, chief of the bookstore.
Nan Cun, or South Village, is from Nan Cun Cottage, a building once south of the Sijing River and built by ancient writer Tao Zongyi. Ying Xue, or the Reflections of Snow, is from the Ying Xue Building, former house of ancient scholar Sun Daoming, according to Zhuang.
Instead of reconstructed architecture, the Nan Cun Ying Xue Bookstore is a renovation based on the original architecture.
A yard inside the store is paved with white pebbles that resemble a snow-covered field.
Nan Cun Ying Xue’s books, like time travel, guide readers through history with stories about the vicissitudes of Shanghai and the local customs of Sijing. Book categories also include art, aesthetics and literature.
The bookstore also provides visitors with a selection of art and creative products to choose from, such as a model of Guangfulin Relics Park, pottery works and cellphone pendants.
Visitors can also mail postcards at a mailbox in front of the store.
After it opened to the public on July 24, the store held a comic exhibition of contemporary Chinese painter Ma Fanglu which proved popular.